I want to have the muscular physique without looking like the pic I've attached below... it's just too big for my taste.

How do I go about this?

Should I still lift heavy, using a smaller number of reps? How many reps? ...Or should I do mid weight? How many reps for that?

...Or light weight with more reps? How many would you suggest if that's the case? Right now, I'm lifting very low weight, and my rep count is at two sets of 20...It's toning, but that's about it, which is why I'm asking.

I know I will burn fat quicker if I have more muscle (and I do like the look of being ripped), but I'm not into the "muscle woman" body style. My thighs and calves are quite large, and muscular anyway (my calves are 13.75 inches and solid, for instance, which looks funny on someone who measures 17 inches from anklebone to knee). I'm staying away from heavier weight when working my legs, for obvious reasons...it doesn't take much to make them grow, and it makes me look way out of proportion.

Any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks!

Just so you know...I want something more like this:

I want to have the muscular physique without looking like the pic I've attached below... Should I still lift heavy, using a smaller number of reps? How many reps? ...Or should I do mid weight? How many reps for that? ...Or light weight with more reps? How many would you suggest if that's the case? Right now, I'm lifting very low weight, and my rep count is at two sets of 20...It's toning, but that's about it, which is why I'm asking.

. I'm staying away from heavier weight when working my legs, for obvious reasons...it doesn't take much to make them grow, and it makes me look way out of proportion.

Use as much weight as you can for 2 sets of 8-12 reps. the rangeis so you can progress. You try to do as many reps as you can, when you can do 12 for both sets, add 5-10 lbs of weight and go back to 8 reps.

I suppose you have a good diet going that might be answer to legs. I think you should workout your legs as you would any part of body. The body you see in the picture didn't pop up over night. You will have to work extremely hard at it. She might have looked that cut for a few weeks out of year. Don't worry about it.

As you ask questions, you need to post age, height, and weight. so the answer can be tailored to your needs.

I want to have the muscular physique without looking like the pic I've attached below... it's just too big for my taste.

How do I go about this?

Should I still lift heavy, using a smaller number of reps? How many reps? ...Or should I do mid weight? How many reps for that?

...Or light weight with more reps? How many would you suggest if that's the case? Right now, I'm lifting very low weight, and my rep count is at two sets of 20...It's toning, but that's about it, which is why I'm asking.

I know I will burn fat quicker if I have more muscle (and I do like the look of being ripped), but I'm not into the "muscle woman" body style. My thighs and calves are quite large, and muscular anyway (my calves are 13.75 inches and solid, for instance, which looks funny on someone who measures 17 inches from anklebone to knee). I'm staying away from heavier weight when working my legs, for obvious reasons...it doesn't take much to make them grow, and it makes me look way out of proportion.

Any suggestions would be helpful! Thanks!
I'd say like this: Do you need to put on muscle to get the same amount as in the pic? If so, then use heavy weights and few reps. When you get the muscles you can up the reps instead.

If you want your muscles fast then do heavy sets, few reps. If you can wait, then do mid-heavy sets with more reps.

If you have to cut down to look like that then i think it doesn't matter that much how you do the lifting. More muscle burns fat faster, but you have a harder time to tell how much you put on "under there". :)

The most important thing, as Rtestes said, it takes a helluva lot of time to build that much muscle, so i wouldn't worry of becoming too big, you can allways stop or alter your program.

Just my 2 kronor!

If you have to cut down to look like that then i think it doesn't matter that much how you do the lifting. More muscle burns fat faster, but you have a harder time to tell how much you put on "under there". :)

Very good point, muscle also takes up less space on our bodies. I looked back to Redd's first messages, at 4" 9', I would estimate 110 lb ideal weight. That cut also requires real clean eating, losing one pound a week, she can be there by summer.

I think most people should start off light and get used to exercises, and gradually work into a heavy-weight style routine, regardless of goals ("gettin' huge" or "gettin ripped" or whatever). You're not going to look like a man unless you:

1) Have the right genetics
2) Have a particular diet laid out
3) Take steroids

I notice a lot of women I am friends with being cautious about "that look." I don't blame them at all (huge women just aren't my preference either), but believe me it's not that simple to look like that. I wouldn't worry about it. If you did start to notice that you were getting too huge you could easily adjust your diet and training.

GTX, I have been working out for a couple of months now and am used to it...

Thanks everyone for the info and tips!!

Now, another question...if I'm not getting sore, does that mean that I'm not working hard enough? My triceps seem to be the only part that is sore, even with the heavier weight, and they're not too bad. I am getting thickness in the muscles, but no soreness.

Rtestes, you are correct, 110-120 is the ideal weight for me. I am eating clean, and working out seems to be making it easier for me to focus on that aspect (lol it's good for more than just getting ripped). I weigh 160 now (back down from 165 after the holidays). I seem to be losing more size than weight, though. I am attributing that to the fact that muscle weighs more than fat...hope I'm not thinking wrong here LOL!

Thank you all for your input, it's not only informative, but I am getting added support from these posts, and I appreciate that as well.

Soreness..

no if your not sore it doesnt mean you havent worked hard enough. Your body has adapted to your routine (but not neccessarily doesnt mean it wont work anymore) so you get less DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=11144&highlight=DOMS
More info.

The reason you dont want to look like the girl on the first picture is probably that her BF% is to low. Personally I dont think such low BF% look good on a woman. I guess if she was like 13-14% with the same LBM I would have thought she looked good. At least, IMO, to much muscles are almost never a problem for women that train bodubuilding. Only to low BF% can be a problem. But that´s just my taste of course. But I know alot of people, both men and women, that would agree.

Regards!

Soreness..

no if your not sore it doesnt mean you havent worked hard enough. Your body has adapted to your routine (but not neccessarily doesnt mean it wont work anymore) so you get less DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).


I see...how often do you guys usually change routines, then??

I only change it when I feel a routine hasnt been working for a while. I spent 6 months on fullbody and now doing splits just to see if it'll work better for me. 3 weeks on and still got DOMS lol.

LOL sounds like my husband, who's just gotten over the flu. He's been sore for over a week...do you work through the soreness? I told him that I would, and that I thought it would ease after a workout...but it didn't work that way for him.

Depends what you mean. Since im doing splits, i could have DOMS in my chest area, but 2 days later im back in the gym doing my back split routine etc. So even if I do have DOMS it wont be the area I'm working on.
If the soreness isnt too bad I'll work through it. But sometimes when I feel its a different kind of soreness, like you twisted your arm awkwardly when putting dumbells down from benching, and one side of your chest hurts, then i'd rest up. Don't think i gave it 100% today because of it.

AAh, no, this is just DOMS...but it seems to last longer sometimes. He was sore for about 3 days, all through his legs. Then I told him to go on and work through the soreness, and he was even more sore. I am one who thinks you need to listen to your body, but if you're sore for longer than 2 or 3 days, you should work through it.

lol. :lol:

Yeah my first DOMS when i worked out lasted for 2 weeks straight. My last leg workout totally plummeted my hamstrings (bout a week ago). Usually it would be my quads that ache, but nope. Hamstrings still havent recovered, so im letting them rest for the next few days and going back to it after one of my exams.

I see...how often do you guys usually change routines, then??
I change my routine at least a bit every 2 workouts that are the same. Generally I change the exercises every 2 workouts on the same body parts and rep/set schemes every 6 workouts on the same body parts – or ‘workout groups’ – like strength, strength endurance, power, etc..

So if I do 2 chest/arm workouts with the same exercises and reps, next chest/arms I will change either the reps/sets and/or the specific exercises. I never do a lot of different exercises in one workout, so that allows be to concentrate on a few movements for 2, perhaps 3 workouts, then change. This also makes sure you don’t concentrate on one movement (e.g. bench) and makes you look for new variations – changing the incline, close grip, wide grip etc..

Every 6 workouts I change the set/rep scheme a bit.

For someone with less than 2-3 years of lifting I would recommend changing maybe every 3-4 workouts instead of 2 and sets/reps every 8-10 instead of 6 if you feel like you are changing too quickly and haven’t yet adjusted to your rep/set/exercises.

I find this form of periodization far superior than the conventional – linear periodization for my sport specific strength training and keeping functional max strength high throughout the year. For simply building muscle mass, it may or may not be the best.

And, as has been perviously stated, not looking like the first picture will be easy - just lay off the steroids!

I am one who thinks you need to listen to your body, but if you're sore for longer than 2 or 3 days, you should work through it.

You have got to know what your body is telling you. Due to lack of experience or poor pain memory a number of people can not associate what kind of pain they have. They can't determine if it is a normal body response or a injury. That is sad.

As Bill Pearl, 75 year old champion bodybuider says " I get up at 4 am to start workout, every bone in my body is aching. I dont miss workouts." I will never get up that early, but I have felt that for a long while. I think Bill and I know what type pain we have - normal, work thru it. I never leave the gym feeling worse.

Your husband's sounded like flu pain. The term " through his legs" says something to me.

Didn't think of that Rtestes, because it was after he was over the flu. he was in the military for 5 years, and he knows what type of soreness he's having, for the most part...but the soreness in his legs may well have been as you said...from the flu. So, should he work through that??

just lay off the steroids!

Whoa, I need none of that! I don't do roids...steroids, hemorrhoids......nope, no roids for me!

but the soreness in his legs may well have been as you said...from the flu. So, should he work through that??

If he feels he is over flu, I would work thru it. He might have come back too soon. Illness and true injury is time to cut back.

I work thru minor colds. I seldom have them, I retired 10 years ago, I don't have to mingle with people that much. So, I don't pick up the things going around. I never take flu shots.

Right. Well, he's been working through it, and says he's sore as hell now LMAO...I'll pass that on, tho. It proves that I'm right, after all!

He's been over the flu for more than a week now, and is frustrated bacause he's not feeling as strong as he was before he got ill. He's almost back to normal now tho.

I, luckily, did not get sick (that's a first). My weight is dropping again after the holidays, too (whew). I have muscle under there that I can feel, and am very happy about that...(see my journal entry).

I think I'm over my plateau, after quite a stint with it. It was hard to get past it, and stay motivated...but I joined this forum and that has really helped. LOL envy is a great motivator!!

Yesterday, I took your advice and started lifing heavy weight (which isn't much at all, mind you). I started with 2 sets of 8, simply to experiment. I'll try two sets of 12 tomorrow. I'm doing the full body thing now, since I have so little time some days, but I do work them in different orders, and use different types of exercizes. When I'm more comfortable with myself, I'll post pics so that you all can see my progress.

My triceps are driving me nuts, as well as my inner thighs, but I know those parts of a woman's body tend to be more troublesome...and that they will come in line with time...this is me trying to be patient!

Yesterday, I took your advice and started lifing heavy weight (which isn't much at all, mind you). I started with 2 sets of 8, simply to experiment. I'll try two sets of 12 tomorrow. I'm doing the full body thing now, since I have so little time some days, but I do work them in different orders, and use different types of exercizes. When I'm more comfortable with myself, I'll post pics so that you all can see my progress.

My triceps are driving me nuts, as well as my inner thighs, but I know those parts of a woman's body tend to be more troublesome...and that they will come in line with time...this is me trying to be patient!

A good way to handle weights reps and sets. Do 8-12 rep range. Use a weight that allows you to do only 8 reps, you just finish 8th rep and doubt you can do 9th. Ok rest 60 sec and perform 2nd set going to 8 reps there. What if you can't complete 8th rep on second set? next time lower weight 5 lbs. When you complete 8 reps for both sets, now you try to complete as many reps as possible up to 12 reps. When you can do 12 reps in both sets, you up weight 5 to 10 pounds. See how you are always progressing with reps or weight. You never want to stand still.

Now is not the time to change order or exercises. You need to stick with a program for at least 6 weeks. Best way is to start working biggest muscles first when you are fresh - legs, back, shoulders, chest, bicep, tricep and abs. Use compound exercises where possible, Squat or leg press, Bent-over row, shoulder press, bench press.

Keep it up, work heavy as you can, don't worry you will always be a woman and you don't have to use pink dumbells.

A good way to handle weights reps and sets. Do 8-12 rep range. Use a weight that allows you to do only 8 reps, you just finish 8th rep and doubt you can do 9th. Ok rest 60 sec and perform 2nd set going to 8 reps there. What if you can't complete 8th rep on second set? next time lower weight 5 lbs. When you complete 8 reps for both sets, now you try to complete as many reps as possible up to 12 reps. When you can do 12 reps in both sets, you up weight 5 to 10 pounds. See how you are always progressing with reps or weight. You never want to stand still.

Now is not the time to change order or exercises. You need to stick with a program for at least 6 weeks. Best way is to start working biggest muscles first when you are fresh - legs, back, shoulders, chest, bicep, tricep and abs. Use compound exercises where possible, Squat or leg press, Bent-over row, shoulder press, bench press.

Keep it up, work heavy as you can, don't worry you will always be a woman and you don't have to use pink dumbells.



ROFL I will NEVER use pinkies!! I'm not a girly girl yanno! Teehee......

I have been isolating mostly, but I can see your point with the compound exercizes. I have freeweights, and do not use the gym. For cardio, we walk/run out here on the country roads (much better in my opinion than the treadmill haha). I have no time to hit the gym, and it's not cost effective, since I live out in the country.

Thanks, rtestes, for your advice, I am taking it to heart. I will level out my program and keep one routine, though.

Thanks alot! :tu: